Updated: Priti Patel MP resigns as UK international development secretary

Priti Patel, the MP for the Witham constituency which includes Stanway in Colchester, has this evening resigned as UK international development secretary.

Ms Patel apologised on Monday to the PM about unauthorised meetings with Israeli politicians she held in August.

The PM is reported to have been angry that, at this meeting where Ms Patel was supposed to reveal all about the extent of her unauthorised contacts with Israeli ministers and officials, she failed to mention additional meetings held in September at Westminster, with the Israeli public security minister, Gilad Erdan.

Ms Patel was summoned back to London this morning and forced to cancel an official visit. Her flight from Nairobi was tracked by over 22,000 people online.

Priti Patel, who is the Conservative MP for Witham had served as the Secretary of State for International Development since July 2016 and has served as an MP since 2010.